Mobile Gas assembling equipment, permits to address Mercaptan leak

EIGHT MILE, Ala. (WALA) - In a press release dated Tuesday Oct. 16, Mobile Gas announced its plan for mitigating a foul odor in the Eight Mile community.

But the Alabama Department of Environmental Management says, the gas company has not met the deadline set by the state.

In a statement to FOX10 ADEM spokesman Scott Hughes said:

“Our position is clearly outlined in the September 27 letter that was issued to Mobile Gas which states that within 14 days of receipt of our letter they shall implement measures to mitigate and abate irritating odors. Based upon our communications with Mobile Gas and their consultants they are actively working to install equipment to meet our requirements but they will not meet the deadline established in our letter,” stated Hughes.

Hughes also stated, because Mobile Gas will not meet its deadline,  it will now move into the enforcement process.

“At this time, the Department is reviewing all of the information associated with any failure to meet the established timeline and is moving forward with our enforcement process. We have several enforcement options that are available and we will choose the one that is best suited to achieve our goal of abating and mitigating the odors in the Eight Mile Community.”

Mobile Gas released the details on its first phase of clearing the odor.

In a release Mobile Gas said it has retained AECOM Technical Services to work with McFadden Engineering to begin the process of lessening the odor.

The statement details how Mobile Gas plans to mitigate the odor:

“ The first phase will include using misters to spray an odor capturing material in the area of springs on private property where the odor is emanating. At the same time, the engineers plan to use compressed air and a diffusion system to aerate the spring water and cause the mercaptan to disperse in a vapor, which would then be captured. The mercaptan will be absorbed or collected by using granular activated carbon.”

Mobile Gas has begun assembling equipment on the property and is in the process of obtaining a permit from the Corps of Engineers required to construct the access roads to the groundwater seeps.

The release states residents first complained of the smell in Oct. 11, but Mobile Gas only found minor leaks during an investigation. Later, officials found that Mercaptan was leaking into springs on private land.

In the meantime, residents continue to suffer through the pungent smell.

"Awful. about 5 or 6 in the evening that's when you can really smell it and early in the morning. it's awful,” said Mika Prince.

Some residents have figured out a way to avoid the stink.

"Stay inside as much as possible. because you can smell it mostly at night so we try to get in by 5 p.m. and get inside,” said Bonnie Spaulding.